Religious Leaders Meet with President and ask Him to
form
‘Circle of Protection’ around Programs for those in
Need
Washington,
July 20, 2011 – In a meeting with President Obama and senior White House
staff this afternoon, national Christian leaders asked the president to
protect funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the ongoing
budget debate and in any deal concerning the default crisis.
All agreed that we can get our fiscal house in order without doing so on the
backs of those who are most vulnerable. The shared concern was to cut the
deficit in a way that protects the safety net, protects the vulnerable, and
maintains our investments in the future.
Christian leaders at today’s meeting included representatives from the
National Council of Churches, the National Association of Evangelicals, the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bread for the World,
Sojourners, the Alliance to End Hunger, the Salvation Army, the National
African American Clergy Network, the National Baptist Convention of America,
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the National Hispanic
Christian Leadership Conference.
They are part of the “Circle
of Protection,” a nonpartisan movement that insists budgets are moral
documents and that poor and vulnerable people should be protected—not
targeted—in efforts to reduce long-term deficits. White House staff in the
meeting included Senior Advisory Valerie Jarrett, Director of Domestic
Policy Council Melody Barnes and Director of the Office of Faith Based and
Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois.
Leaders have been urging policy makers to recognize that a commitment to
protect vulnerable people is a moral—not partisan—concern. They will
continue to talk with policy makers as well as educate other Christians and
voters about the moral issues at stake in the budget.
“As Christian leaders, we are committed to fiscal responsibility and shared
sacrifice. We are also committed to resist budget cuts that undermine the
lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people,” the leaders wrote
in a joint statement. “Therefore, we join with others to form a circle of
protection around programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poor
people at home and abroad.”
The Circle of Protection statement has been signed by more than 60 heads of
Christian denominations and religious organizations, and endorsed by 45
heads of development agencies as well as leaders of other faiths. The Circle
of Protection movement has worked to uphold the bipartisan consensus that
has long prevailed in deficit-reduction agreements—that programs serving
poor and hungry people should be protected and exempted from any automatic
cuts.
“As Christian leaders, we urge Congress and the administration to give moral
priority to programs that protect the life and dignity of poor and
vulnerable people in these difficult times, our broken economy, and our
wounded world,” they wrote.
National Council of Churches representatives at the meeting included
the Rev. Dr. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, and the Rev. Michael Livingston, director of the NCC's
poverty initiative.
Leaders will host a teleconference tomorrow morning,
July 21 at 11:30 AM ET. Media are invited to dial 888-296-4205 to
participate. For more information and to
view the full list of signatories, visit
www.circleofprotection.us.
____
For more information contact:
Kristen Youngblood,
(202) 423-7379 cell, (202) 688-1118
office, kyoungblood@bread.org
Racine
Hamilton,
(202) 688-1138 office; (301)
922-8417 cell, rhamilton@bread.org
Tim King, (202) 745-4636 office; (202) 631-7763 cell,
tking@sojo.net
Evan Trowbridge,
(202)-745-4625 office;
etrowbridge@sojo.net
Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of
the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for
shared ecumenical witness among Christians in the United States. The NCC's
37 member communions -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican,
Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace
churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local
congregations in communities across the nation.
NCC News contact:
Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 646-853-4212 (cell),
pjenks@ncccusa.org
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